Eric Church’s New Song ‘Jukebox and a Bar’ Throws It Back to Classic Country [Listen]

Eric Church is taking fans on a brokenhearted trip straight to the barroom on his new song, "Jukebox and a Bar."

The country superstar delivers classic country heartbreak on the new track, which he built around a slow honky-tonk groove and a plaintive melody. The trebly guitars and overall feel call to mind a strong dose of old-school Merle Haggard, and the lyrics to "Jukebox and a Bar" travel some of the same highways as many of the Hag's best songs. Church debuted the song exclusively to his fan club, the Church Choir, before teasing fans with the clip above via Instagram on Friday (Sept. 21).

“One pushes me up the mountain and one rolls me down the hill / While I sit in a phosphorescent dark / So you can keep your fancy potions and your incandescent notions / As for me and my barely-beating heart / There’s no better prescription for my broken disposition / Than a jukebox and a bar," Church sings in the chorus.

Church has pulled consistently from retro influences for the new songs, drawing on classic rock, soul and now country influences for Desperate Man. He explores doo-wop influences on a track called "Heart Like a Wheel." "Some of It" is a somber reflection on how we absorb life lessons, while "Hangin' Around" gives a nod to the heavier side of '70s rock. "Monsters" is a stripped-down acoustic track.

Desperate Man is set for release on Oct. 5. Church will promote the album with his 2019 Double Down Tour, which is set to launch on Jan. 18 in Omaha, Neb. That tour will feature Church playing two unique three-hour shows on back-to-back nights in every market he visits.